Getting Started in Service

Deciding to serve is an act that we celebrate, and, an easy choice. Deciding where to serve though, can be more difficult. If you’d like to get some guidance on some great places to help out, feel free to call my office at 718-499-1090, or email me at Lander [at] Council [dot] NYC [dot] gov.

Additionally, here are some organizations doing great work across New York City who would be happy to have extra volunteers:

Friend of Carroll Park is a group of neighborhood residents committed to maintaining and improving Carroll Park.

The Friends of Douglass/Greene Park is a non-profit organization dedicated to working with the surrounding communities and organizations to revitalize Thomas Greene Park and to support ecological, recreational, educational and economic uses that increase the park’s attractiveness as a destination while respecting the character of the surrounding areas.

friendsofdomepark [at] gmail [dot] com (Friends of Dome Playground) is a group of community members dedicated to caring for the recently renovated Dome Playground.

Selfhelp Community Services, Inc., (718-633-1300), an organization that assists older adults, is looking for friendly visitors for Holocaust survivors in Brooklyn.

Project Reach Youth needs tutors for pre-GED, GED, math, grammar, and writing courses - a great opportunity to help out individual children one at a time!

Brooklyn Green Teens is a wonderful opportunity for teenagers to help protect, promote and learn about the environment.

The Red Hook Boaters is a volunteer-only group dedicated to providing free kayaking to the Red Hook community in Brooklyn and helping them maintain the beauty of the shoreline at Valentino pier..

Big Apple Greeters is an organization dedicated to exposing unique and interesting neighborhoods to people visiting New York City from around the world. They are looking for people who want to share their love and knowledge of their communities with groups of one to six visitors. Foreign language skills are a plus!

Take Action

Plastic bags are designed to be used only for a short period of time, but their negative impacts are long-lasting. Even when properly disposed of, plastic bags often blow away onto the street or into waterways, where they become eye-sores, clog storm drains, and endanger wildlife. Our bill aims to reduce the use and negative impacts of carryout bags by requiring a 10-cent charge for carryout bags in NYC grocery and retail stores, and stores would retain the cost of the charge.

The use of credit reports to discriminate against job applicants is on the rise, with over 60% of employers nationwide using the credit histories of prospective employees to inform their hiring decisions.

What does your neighborhood need? An improved park? Safer streets? New school technology? In participatory budgeting, you give your ideas and City Councilmember Brad Lander has set aside $1 million to fund them. And your votes will decide which projects get funded.